Mass spectrometry articles from across Nature Portfolio

Gangliosides are vital for brain function, but their isomer-specific investigations are limited. Here, the authors use a glyco-lipidomic approach to profile ganglioside isomers and N-glycans in mouse brain regions, revealing regional specificity and commonality.

Structural characterization of protein complexes is challenging for low-input samples. Here, authors develop a SNAP-MS mass spectrometry workflow based on dissolvable hydrogel beads to enable efficient purification and native-MS-based analysis from biological samples.

Unlocking the complexities of protein structures and interactions within subcellular organelles is challenging. Here, the authors introduce SPACX, a method for spatially resolved protein complex profiling using biocompatible chemical cross-linking, enabling the analysis of protein conformation, interactions, and translocation in living cells.

Chemical derivatization is widely used, but the lack of reference spectra of chemically derived molecules (CDMs) hinders their identification. Here, the authors describe a deep learning approach enabling accurate prediction of ESIMS/MS spectra for CDMs.

In this work, Kamal, Knox et al develop a high-throughput system to identify small molecules that disrupt amyloid formation by pre-selecting compounds that suppress molecular interactions within the cuticle of the C. elegans pharynx.

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics provides broad and quantitative detection of the proteome, but its results are mostly presented as protein lists. Artificial intelligence approaches will exploit prior knowledge from literature and harmonize fragmented datasets to enable mechanistic and functional interpretation of proteomics experiments.

The stereoselectivity of S_N1-type glycosylation reactions involving 4,6-O-benzylidene-protected sugars is determined by a glycosyl cation intermediate. However, these species are usually too unstable to be characterized directly in solution. Now, mass spectrometry is used to capture these ions in a vacuum and to analyse their structure using cryogenic infrared spectroscopy, in conjunction with computational calculations.

This Comment discusses erroneous reporting of mass spectrometry analyses of lipids in mammalian samples, and provides recommendations for how to avoid it.

Understanding the role of pyrophosphorylation requires specific analytical strategies to discriminate it from protein phosphorylation. A custom workflow reveals that nucleolar protein pyrophosphorylation in human cells regulates the transcription of ribosomal DNA.

Proton transfer time-of-flight mass spectrometry offers a new analytical tool to measure aqueous concentrations of volatile analytes in real time by the approach of headspace sampling, holding significant promise for advancing understanding of water chlorination chemistry.